JRL NEWSWATCH: “Pushing Ukraine to negotiate now would be disastrous” – Chatham House
“More than 500 days after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there are signs that some of Ukraine’s supporters in the West want to prepare the ground for negotiations. Such a shift in policy would be catastrophic.”
“… The counteroffensive has not stalled … but Ukraine would have made more progress had the U.S. not displayed … timidity over supplying … a technological battlefield edge. Weakening support now will only make Ukraine more vulnerable (with consequences for … European and global security), threaten … gains made … and give Putin leverage he does not currently possess – especially [considering] Russia’s internal tumult …. The urge to find an end to the conflict is understandable, ostensibly reasonable and often well-intentioned. … [N]o part of Russia’s argument contains reasonable grounds for compromise. … [T]he West should accede to Ukraine’s wish list [including] … for longer-range weaponry that can reach behind front lines, including into Russian territory. Raising negotiations at this stage can only suggest a lack of belief in a Ukrainian victory … and an unwillingness to stay the course. It would also confirm to Russia the limits of the West’s resolve. …”